The Things you Learn with an Enchanted Pen
Today is one of those days when Kazul takes me to see Daystar—and the whole rest of those in the Enchanted Forest I mean. I always look forward to these weekly visits; for one it's a drastic change from the dull, monotonous days of cooking and cleaning and being Princess to the King of Dragons. Not that I don't like Kazul or anything—she's the best Dragon a drafted Princess could wish for—yet I do like to be with Daystar—and everyone else at the castle of course!
Oh, this dratted pen! It's enchanted you know, with some kind of truth spell that makes you write down exactly what's on your mind and in your heart. They're really very handy for drawing up royal contracts and other such important documents. This one was an extra I found lying about so I asked Kazul if she needed it and she said no so it is now officially in my possession. Kazul said I could use it to find things out about myself that I'd never known before and muddle about with my problems. Believe me, some of the oddest ideas have been surfacing as I write.
Daystar is one of them. I met him, oh, almost a year ago now—it's hard for me to believe so much time has passed!—in the Enchanted Forest. I'd been fleeing from the Head Society of Wizards and somehow found myself entombed by a ring of stubborn hedges that refused to let me out. I'd been trapped there for hours, hungry, cold, and completely sapped of all hope when Daystar found me there, at my wits end and crying. It hadn't taken him long to aggravate me with his overdone politeness toward everyone and everything. He even insisted I be polite to a bush, which, according to him, was the only way to get me out of the death trap of hedges. I have to admit, he was right about that, and the more I traveled with him the more I saw the advantage of being polite. Not that I enjoyed it or anything. I am a Fire Witch after all, and we're not exactly wired to be nice, especially to those who exasperate us, which, in my case, was Daystar at this point in time.
It was him and his stupid magic sword that got me stuck in the ridiculous predicament I am in now, which sends me to the castle once, and sometimes even twice, a week for meticulous magical study by King Mendanbar, his son Daystar, and sometimes even Morwen and Telemain if they happen to be in the vicinity. I've had innumerable tests and cleansing spells worked on me, but nothing even appears to be working in the slightest. It seems I'm stuck having to be polite in order to even allow my hair to burst into flame when I'm mad, let alone use my Fire Magic at all! The whole situation really is very ridiculous and unflattering, but I don't mind the delay all too much as long as it allows me to see Daystar frequently, much more frequently than I would had he not accidentally set this silly restraint on my magic. And besides, I kind of like having him stare at me, even though I know he's only making magical assessments.
Okay, see, this pen really is beginning to make me cringe. This is all just plum crazy! Liking Daystar staring at me? How stupid is that! This is all genuinely insane!
But…oh, I don't know! I'm just growing confused! Whenever I'm around him I feel all warm and content, like my life is perfect and complete, and then when Kazul and I return to her caves in the Mountains of Morning I'm irritable and crabby for the rest of the day. I feel as if a large piece is missing from my soul when he's not around, and half my work ends up neglected and undone. It's usually on these days that I get in the most trouble with Kazul. Dragons don't much care for ornery princesses, especially the King of Dragons who already has enough to do without her own Princess stirring up trouble. She usually has to breathe fire at me at least once or twice to get me moving. Of course the fire leaves me unscathed—Fire Witches are immune to all kinds of fire and heat—but if you've ever faced a full grown Dragon annoyed enough with you to breathe fire then count yourself lucky they valued you enough not to eat you or burn you to a crisp. It's intimidating to say the least.
Kazul thinks I'm just bothered by the fact that it's been a full year since Mendanbar was freed and Daystar and I returned from out quest and still no progress on my magical restriction has been made; that, let me tell you, is one of the very least of my problems. My heart pulses madly within my chest whenever he comes near and I feel as if I do not have total control of my limbs. His smile is so warm and full of laughter that it completely melts my insides into a puddle of goo a lot like a Wizard after he's been melted, but much nicer. His absolute chivalry and polite manner toward everyone used to infuriate me so much because I could never even come close to matching it. As I grew to know him better though, it just came to be a natural part of who he was, and I did not give it much thought except when he was correcting me, which used to be practically every waking second, though lately either I have improved or else he has been laying off.
He is just so nice and sweet to everyone, except Wizards and demons and other beings of evil of course, and he seems to have this air of innocence about him that just makes him so wonderful. Some might tag him a simpleton, but I know better, oh so much better. He really does have passions and deep feelings about certain subjects, and for having such a limited learning of magic growing up he's catching along to Mendanbar's teachings quite nicely.
Sometimes, after the days tests have ended, Daystar and I just sit together and talk on every subject imaginable, from my Fire Magic problem to what new insult the gargoyle mounted in Mendanbar's study had invented that morning. Daystar can always make me laugh and brighten up my day even when I'm in one of my snappish moods, which, I'm sorry to say, is most of the time. We've had our share of arguments in the past, true, yet we always manage to make up almost immediately so the disagreement does not fester between us for the next week until we see each other again.
I know I am going to be very disappointed when Mendanbar and Daystar finally figure out the problem with my magic and fix it. I wouldn't mind at all if they never figured out what is wrong as long as I could see Daystar as often as I do now; more often even. In fact, I don't think I would mind any at all if I spent the rest of my life with him!
Oh, no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Look at what this dratted, stupid, horrible, absolutely wonderful pen has me admitting now! Stupid, utterly impossible yet completely amazingly right ideas! Oh, goodness, I did not think it was possible yet it seems to be true. It would never work! And what about everything that—oh! I can't think straight! My thoughts are all jumbled up and rolling about in my head like feathers caught by the wind! I think…I think I'm in love with Daystar. Oh, oh, oh! I can't believe this is true! I'm really in love with Daystar!
Shiara,
Fire Witch and Princess of Kazul, King of Dragons